The Law of Reciprocity
What Not to Cut When Planning Your Budget
By Amy Reid
The 700 Club
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CBN.com - Arman Bayatmakou works as a concierge at a luxury hotel in Manhattan. He immigrated to the US from Iran, met his wife Betsy and became a Christian.
“When I got saved, I didn’t want to put the Bible down,” Arman remembers. “And I learned a lot about the law of reciprocity, obedience to the Lord; it really is not about giving, it’s rather be obedient.”
They joined the 700 Club at $20 a month a few years ago and have been giving steadily ever since. “700 Club really touches a lot of hearts,” Arman says. “And people see it, all the good deeds. That’s what happened to me. I felt like I have to be part of this. It’s really awesome, that’s great what they’re doing!”
Through the years, Arman and Betsy increased their giving from $20 a month to $300 a month. But with three growing children and bills to pay, they worried about the future. Arman made the difficult decision to cut back on their giving.
Arman recalls that night. “The Lord spoke to me, He said, ‘I don’t want you to cut it, continue giving $300 as you were giving.’ And I said, ‘Well, Lord, I have a family to take of, you know. I mean, I have children, I have a future, I mean, is that really Your will for me to do it?’ He said, ‘Arman, do it, I will bless you.’”
The next day, at work Arman was assisting a guest when something unusual happened. “She came over and said, ‘Arman, this is for you.’ She gave me $100, and I didn’t really look at it,” Arman recalls. “And after that, she gave me, ‘Oh Arman, this is another.’”
By the end of the day, she had given him $300 in tips. Arman was amazed.
“Then the Lord said, ‘Didn’t I tell you I will take care of you?’”
Arman and Betsy say that even in an uncertain economy, God’s provision has continued to be something they can count on. “Sometimes the hotel is not so busy, really it’s quiet,” Arman says. “Amazing. It’s just like money comes from nowhere and I’m like, ‘Wow!’ God’s really showing me, He’s so faithful. And he does that every single time I go to work, without exception. It’s mind-boggling to me.”
““We actually have no debt,” Betsy says, “Our house is paid for and other people say, ‘Wow, I can’t believe that,’ But the Lord has blessed us a lot.”
Arman has been with the hotel for over 20 years now and Betsy is a successful optician. They say they have learned to be obedient to God in spite of their circumstances and challenge others to do the same.
“We know that the Lord is going to take care of us,” Betsy says. “We trust Him that He will provide for our needs.”
Arman agrees. “When He asks you to do something, as a steward, He wants us to go on and do it, and then He will come and bless us. And He really does!”
Being obedient to God's truth made an incredible difference for Arman & Betsy. They made themselves available for God's love to flow through them to others, and they are reaping a blessing themselves as well. Join them in partnering with CBN. You will make a difference in lives around the world, through medical missions, food and clothing programs, humanitarian outreaches and so much—all in the name of Jesus. Please join today.
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